American Dad! Wiki:Editing Policy

The editing policy is created to help editors of to understand general expectations in regards to editing our articles.

Proper English
Edits that are incomprehensible, either due to poor language skills or spelling may be removed. Fandom's Fandom's Terms of Use requires users be a MINIMUM of 13 years old. Due to the mature content of American Dad!, we expect users to have acquired writing and spelling skills comparable to a high school level of proficiency, with allowances for the occasional spelling/grammar mistake. Edits that fail to follow existing formatting may also be removed. New editors are advised to familiarize themselves with the current page layouts.

Editing focus
We encourage new information, not picking over or playing word games with past entries. You may correct misspellings, as long as it is understood that American English is used here. If you wish to question the accuracy or wording of a statement, you may do so on the talk pages and it will be investigated or discussed.

Due to the work involved with plot summaries and providing episode information on multiple shows, editors are asked to refrain from editing pages unrelated to new episodes on premier broadcast nights of any Fuzzy Door Productions animated show.

Season Count
See the Episode Guide for the full details

After years of conflicting but equal information from FOX, we decided in 2015 to follow the then-new TBS system of the short first season, a three-episode season 11 and TBS starting their ownership with season 12. Since then, FOX/Hulu has reasserted some rights over the episodes, plus, TBS had changed their own method repeatedly leading to a lot of confusion. In 2018, we elected to follow the FOX/HULU counts. Wikipedia and IMDb episode counts are obsolete and are not accepted here.

Fanfiction
Under no circumstances will fan fiction or other fan-produced work be permitted here. All pages should be of information contained in the television show.

Professionally produced media available for sale may be included as "Merchandise". Information provided in books, almanacs, DVD covers or even interviews is not considered official until it is used within an episode.

Sourcing a fact
If reporting a fact, be sure to link a web site or an episode the event occurs in. Items reported as facts without naming a source of information will be challenged or immediately removed. All sources of information must be publicly verifiable. "I heard at a convention/stage show..." is not acceptable unless footage is available for confirmation.

We do not accept links from fan edited sources such as Fandom or Wikipedia as proof of information. If a link to an outside source is warranted for things that might need further explaining, it is preferred to link to an official site or news source.

Speculation is not permitted. Edits judged to be an attempt to forward a personal opinion or agenda will be removed.

Claiming a voice credit
Please provide an authoritative source if claiming a voice role was done by a specific actor/actress. IMDB is NOT accepted! Unsourced edits will be reversed and persistent attempts will be treated as vandalism. If you find your edit undone, please reach out to the editor undoing the edit and talk about it. Preferred sources include press releases from FOX, TV Guide, respected news media or an official page for the voice performer.

Real world timeline
Real world time and events have no bearing within American Dad!. Dates are irrelevant. Just because an episode aired the previous year does not mean a character has automatically aged a year. Ages attributed to characters should be tied to a broadcast episode and not to the calendar date an episode aired. By the same token, events on American Dad! have no effect on real events, the point of this wiki is to report what happens in each episode without becoming fixated on how it affects reality or even other episodes.

Red links
Do not create open links for others to complete later. If you create a link to make a page, you are expected to write that page or link to an outside source in a timely manner. It is preferred that you DO make a link in an appropriate space when creating a new page, rather than creating one using the automatic page generator. An exception for creating open links to be filled in later will be granted for upcoming episodes until more information is known.

Categories
As of "Rapture's Delight", nearly every character may be considered "Deceased" and that category is no longer used and has been deleted. In addition, many characters once "deceased" in other episodes such as Bad Larry, Marguerite, Gertie and the Midget Assassin have been brought back, further demonstrating that the characters never really die.

Do not create new categories without prior approval. We don't need a category for Left-Handed Dentists or for episodes that feature a particular character. This wiki prides itself on being clutter-free and it is rare for a new category to be added. A proposal for a new category should ensure that sufficient pages exist to justify its existence and there should be no confusion if a page should qualify for inclusion. Currently, a minimum of 8 pages are considered the threshold for a proposed category. Conversely, a proposed category should not have numerous pre-existing pages qualify for inclusion requiring a lengthy page review process. Categories subject to numerous mis-classifications or of a controversial nature will be denied.

New page creation
Items must be show in the series to qualify for a page so an appropriate screenshot may be used. Items only referenced should be linked to an outside source if necessary. Acceptable exceptions for this are pages for cast and crew or guest voices prior to their episode airing.

Before creating a page, familiarize yourself with our Page Layout.

Additionally, keep the following in mind:

Notes/Trivia
Notes/Trivia include any other items, such as mentioning a pop song used in an episode or an action repeated in a previous episode.

Notes are generally organized as such:
 * 1) Pre-episode information such as episode name changes & title notes that don't quite qualify as references.
 * 2) Cast and crew notes such as missing key cast members.
 * 3) Episode notes - Noteworthy events in the episode. Songs are grouped together when possible.
 * 4) Continuity or factual errors that don't qualify as goofs.
 * 5) Post-episode notes such as awards.
 * 6) Commentary by staff from the internet or DVD after the episode has aired.

This isn't set completely in stone as there is some wiggle room depending on how important something is or if it concerns an already logged note.

Quotes
Quotes may include adult language. Do not edit a quote to remove adult language if it is known to be accurate based on an unedited version of an episode. Quotes should only be placed in the episode quotes page, not in the narrative of a character or episode. The Quotes page does not mean transcription of the script. Non-quote descriptions are to be used sparingly and Quotes may only end in spoken words. The best quotes are a single spoken line of dialog or a set up and punchline.

Due to numerous failures to understand this concept, once a quote is "taken" and entered onto the page, no additions to the quote will be accepted without a talk page discussion as to why it should be included as an extended run of dialog. If alternate dialog is offered, the FIRST quote entered onto the page will stand and the quote will have been considered used.

Please pay attention to existing quote formatting, by reviewing other pages if necessary. Italics and bold are to be used properly and parenthesis are not used for quotes.

Goofs
Goofs should primarily be limited to items that disappear or change in a scene. Changing an opinion over time is not considered a goof. As there is no continuity, conflicting information from a previous episode will be listed as a note, not a goof. A color variation in a television or movie scene or character, as well as changing the spelling of a known name is usually done to avoid copyright infringement or to qualify as parody and is not a goof. If something can be logically explained then it is not a goof. Scenes done intentionally to move a story along or for humor are also not considered goofs.